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Senator Ireti Kingibe has rejected FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s assertion that she will not return to the Senate in 2027, saying neither the minister’s office nor any individual has the constitutional authority to determine who the people of the Federal Capital Territory will elect.
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Kingibe challenged Wike to produce the Senate’s official Votes and Proceedings showing approval for loans allegedly obtained by the FCT Administration.
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The FCT senator said questioning public borrowing, government expenditure and official conduct is part of her legislative responsibility, insisting that public office holders, regardless of their position or political influence, remain subject to scrutiny and the law.
The latest exchange deepens the public dispute between the senator and the FCT minister, which began over the administration’s borrowing for infrastructure and escalated after Wike criticised Kingibe and said she would not return to the Senate in 2027.
The political confrontation between Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has intensified, with the senator declaring that the minister cannot determine her political future or intimidate her into abandoning questions over the administration’s finances.
Kingibe, in a response posted on her X platform on Thursday, said her position as a senator required her to demand accountability from government and scrutinise the use of public resources.
She also challenged Wike to produce documentary evidence that the Senate approved loans obtained by the FCT Administration.
“I have never been one to be intimidated by insults, threats, or political pressure, and I will not start now”, Kingibe said.
The senator’s response followed comments by Wike earlier in the week in which he rejected her allegation that the FCT Administration had obtained loans without the approval of the National Assembly.
Wike had argued that the borrowing for capital projects was incorporated into the budget and subjected to the necessary approval process. He also told journalists that Kingibe would not return to the Senate in 2027 and criticised her understanding of the loan approval process.
Kingibe has now challenged the minister to substantiate the claim that the Senate approved the borrowing.
“As for not getting approval for the loans, I dare the FCT Minister to show the people of the FCT, and all who have asked, the Votes and Proceedings of the day the approval was given. I cannot speak for the House of Representatives but I know that it was NEVER brought before the Senate”, she said.
The dispute over the FCT’s borrowing dates back to August, when Kingibe raised questions about loans secured by the administration. She said at the time that she had raised the matter with the Senate leadership after reviewing information from the Debt Management Office covering borrowings between August 2023 and March 2026.
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The senator’s central argument is that questions concerning public borrowing cannot be dismissed as political attacks or disrespect for the FCT minister, but must be addressed through verifiable records and the appropriate constitutional processes.
“If I raise questions about public borrowing, public funds or the conduct of government, it is not an act of disrespect; it is part of my duty as a legislator”, she said.
Kingibe further invoked the principle of public accountability, declaring that political office should not shield anyone from scrutiny.
“No Minister, no matter how powerful, is above the law. No public office holder is above scrutiny”, she said.
Her position comes against the backdrop of an increasingly public disagreement between the senator and the minister over the administration of the nation’s capital. The disagreement has moved beyond the specific question of borrowing to encompass the senator’s political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wike had said Kingibe would not return to the Senate after the 2027 election, a statement that the senator has now rejected as an attempt to assume a power that belongs to voters.
“And no individual has the authority to decide by personal declaration who the people of the FCT will elect in 2027. That decision belongs solely to the people”, she said.
The senator’s response also brought the role of women in public office into the dispute, with Kingibe condemning what she described as attempts to intimidate, silence or demean women who challenge government decisions.
“Women who choose to serve in public office must not be expected to remain silent simply because they ask difficult questions or refuse to compromise their principles”, she said.
She vowed that the controversy would not distract her from her duties as the FCT’s representative in the Senate.
“I will not be distracted by personal attacks. I will continue to speak when the interest of the FCT demands it, scrutinise matters that require scrutiny, and stand firmly for the people I represent. I did not enter public service to be intimidated. I entered it to serve. The will of the people of the FCT will prevail on the day of the election”, Kingibe said.